Where are the fathers? In my neighborhood, the Mothers Association gets things done. Too many men want to avoid the thankless tasks that women have performed for hundreds of patriarchal years. They're also missing out on the beautiful intimate mundanity of nurturing a human being.

Two year-old John Aubrey Earnheart waves his flag from his father's arms during a Memorial Day observation in Tunica, Miss. Op-ed contributor John Kaag says fathers should 'lean out' – 'be willing to forego certain career opportunities in order to be more engaged as parents.'